Excallibur charging

[mike k.]

I have the 12 volt nimh ,and I installed it in a new alkiline pod .How long does it take to charge this battery for the first time and thereafter with the nicad chager ?? thanks

 

[Bling]

n/t

 

[Cupajo]

There are new fast chargers that will do the job in four hours or so!

 

[Cupajo]

Thinking I knew about all I might need to know about batteries after half a lifetime of using them, I charged the NiMH pack and proceeded to use it.

I also have a Nicad pack that came with my machine.

An orange info sheet came with my battery pack and I finally got around to reading it.

"Just as important for Nicad battery life is discharging it to the prescribed level of charge before re-charging!"

If you short cycle Nicads the battery takes less time to charge and will lose its charge faster!

It will develop a "short cycle" memory and refuse to perform to its full potential!

"The battery packs are to be fully discharged by draining off the power to .90 volts per cell and any further reduction of power can damage the battery pack!"

My pack has 10 cells thus it should never be discharged to less than 9volts!

According to the sheet, "a new battery pack will have to be subjected to 4 to 6 charge/discharge cycles to reach its full potential capacity!"

Overcharging is equally a problem. The pack overheats and gets "cooked"!

"This battery pack needs to be fully discharged when not used for an extended period too or it will slowly lose capacity until it will no longer accept a charge."

"Always let the battery pack cool to room temperature before charging, discharging or using!"

Temps of over 125F will lead to damage!

NiMH cells are more heat sensitive than Nicads.110F can damage them!

NiMH packs hold a charge longer than Nicads.

They should be stored with some charge left in them unlike the Nicads and should you wish to discharge them for any reason, they must not be discharged lower than .85 volts per cell.

For the most accurate results it is best to use a "peak charger" which protects the pack from overcharging!

More info is availible at www.onlybatterypacks.com

CJ